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 May 2008 Back to Table of Contents Back to Archives Main Page Section: Life & Leisure Playing Games on the Green By Anthony Chabala
The USGA takes no position on gambling, and neither does Forever Young, but considering you and your buddies are probably doing it, I am here to offer a few new ideas to spice up the game-within-the-game. • The Nassau — Actually three bets in one, this is by far the most popular betting game in golf. It involves having a bet riding on the score of the front nine, the back nine, and the overall score. Although the $2 Nassau is the common wagering amount, I have heard of games being played in WNY that could leave the winner with enough extra cash to put a down payment on a new house. • The Skins — Another easy game to play that is fun for every golfer. Each hole is a new beginning in the skins game, so if you are having a bad hole, you can pick up and take a breather. Each member of the group puts up a dollar amount — say $5 — the money is combined into one large pool, and whenever someone gets the low score on a hole, they get a skin. At the end of the day you total up the skins and divide the money pool accordingly. This game is great if you have a large group and want to include everyone. Now it gets interesting. Here are a few games that will really spice things up … • Snake — Snake is one of the games most commonly played by the better players. It involves three-putting only. If you are the first in your group to three-putt, then you get the snake. Every time someone three putts, the snake is passed to the latest guilty party. He who is stuck with the snake at the end of the round must pay a predetermined dollar amount for every snake that took place to each member of the group. This can get very interesting, very quickly. If there are four people in the group and the snake has been passed eight times, just imagine how badly your knees will be shaking when you have a five-foot par putt on the 18th hole. • Acey Ducey — This is an interesting game if you have a mathematician in your group. In Acey Ducey, the group decides what the value of the low and high score on each hole is worth. The low score is typically worth twice what the bad score must pay. Each member of the group must pay the decided amount to the person with the low score, and the person with the high score must pay each member of the group the decided amount. It’s amazing how quickly the tables can turn on one hole. • Play It Again, Sam — The title of a Woody Allen classic, this is also an incredibly fun golfing game. The game is played scratch, but you take your handicap and convert it into mulligans. If you are an 18 handicap, you are allowed 18 mulligans at any time, but when you run out ... Oh well! It works best within a large skins game. There are some masochists out there who play this game in reverse, meaning that only your opponents can determine when you have to take your mulligans. Of course, it’s normally after you hit a great shot. What makes these games great is that you don’t have to necessarily use money; many play for who will pull the winner’s clubs on the next hole or who will wash the winner’s clubs after the round, and other mildly embarrassing yet inexpensive means of wagering. Just remember, keep the grandkids’ inheritance in mind, and whatever you do, don’t forget to report your winnings to Uncle Sam. back to top back to table of contents Current Issue | About Forever Young | Where to Find | Advertise | Our Advertisers | Community Calendar | Contest | Clubs | Contact Us | Archives | Home |
